Lucianus’s mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Dominatus as Kaira wiped him down. What kind of woman is he sleeping with right now? Lucianus wondered. A man like Dominatus would surely never suffer from the lack of women. Will he choose a noble tonight? Or perhaps the most beautiful woman he can find?
“Will you wear scented oil tonight?” Kaira asked.
Lucianus was ready for bed, and there was no need for him to wear any special scents, but he figured that a sweet aroma would be a nice change for him. He requested a lily-scented oil. Kaira took out a small, glass bottle from a cabinet and rubbed the scent onto Lucianus’s damp, pale skin.
Lucianus returned to his bedroom and found a glass of hot wine by his nightstand, though he didn’t remember asking for a drink. Did Kaira prepare this for me out of consideration? It was embarrassing for Lucianus to learn that even his servant worried that he wouldn’t get a good night’s sleep without the aid of alcohol. Did he seem so mentally fragile?
I’d like to learn more about Kaira’s thoughts. Kaira had been by Lucianus’s side ever since the noble was a baby. I wonder how he feels when he sees his master, who’s younger than him, falling in love with a gladiator. Kaira was silently watching over Lucianus forming a relationship with Dominatus; perhaps the servant saw this as a moment of weakness, allowing his young master to do as he pleased.
Even Lucianus was acutely aware of how shameless and foolish it was to purchase a man with the precious money that he inherited from his parents. Yet, again and again, he couldn’t stop himself.
“You look rather melancholic,” a man’s voice suddenly called. “Is something on your mind?”
Lucianus almost jolted in surprise. He looked up and found a tall man standing by the entrance to the yard.
“Dominatus?” Lucianus gasped. “Wh-why are you here? Did you sneak inside?”
“Don’t make me sound like a criminal,” Dominatus replied. “I didn’t want to trouble your servants, so I came here without telling them. That’s all.”
In other words, he had, in fact, snuck into the house without permission. Dominatus entered the room arrogantly, and headed for the bed where Lucianus sat. The gladiator violently grabbed the noble’s chin, brought their faces close, and took a deep inhale.
“You were waiting for me while enveloping yourself in my favorite sweet scent of lilies,” Dominatus said. “That’s a fine mindset to have.”
How conceited. Lucianus gave a look of exasperation and knocked Dominatus’s arm away.
“What is the misunderstanding here?” Lucianus asked. “I didn’t call for you tonight, did I?”
Dominatus brought his lips close to Lucianus’s ear and whispered, “You did.” His low, enchanting voice made Lucianus tremble. “When we locked eyes at the colosseum, your gaze invited me. You implied that you wanted me to sneak into your bedroom while everyone was asleep.”
The gladiator’s tone was filled with mockery. He was clearly joking, but Lucianus was vexed to learn that his mind had been read like an open book.
“How unpleasant you are,” Lucianus spat. “Leave at once. I don’t want to see your face.”
“Don’t lie to me. You wanted me to come,” Dominatus replied. “Why are you so stubborn?”
Dominatus jokingly pushed down Lucianus, who desperately tried to push Dominatus’s chest away, but the muscular body wouldn’t budge an inch under his slender arms.
“I’m not being stubborn,” Lucianus insisted. “I want to sleep. Why don’t you go to Mrs. Almeia and have fun with her?”
“Mrs. Almeia is a fine woman,” Dominatus replied. “She’s honest with her wishes and accepts the embrace of a man as she allows herself to be swept up by the whims of her desires. A far cry from a certain someone who holds tight to his composure, even in bed.”
Lucianus’s rage exploded as he heard the thorny remark. He slapped Dominatus’s face hard.
“You lowly, miserable gladiator!” Lucianus shouted. “If you don’t leave at once, I shall shout for help!”
“Good grief. How could you be so prideful? There’s no other man in the world who’s more of a handful than you,” Dominatus said. He frowned and started to rub his slapped cheek with his hand, paying no heed to Lucianus’s anger. “No matter. You didn’t buy me tonight. I’ve got no reason to heed your order.”
“What?”
Dominatus sat back up and took out a small, purple pill from a pouch by his waist. He popped it into his mouth, took a swig of wine, then swiftly kissed Lucianus on the lips. The noble found his lips pried open as wine poured into his mouth. He reflexively swallowed before placing a hand over his mouth.
“What did you just make me drink?” Lucianus demanded.
“An aphrodisiac,” Dominatus replied. “It works terrifyingly well. Ingesting one of these will have even a virgin rubbing her warm body against a man. Since you’re rather sensitive to being touched, I think it’ll work even better on you.”
“What…” Lucianus trailed off. He was in utter shock.
Dominatus gave a jovial chuckle. “Women tend to become insatiable when they buy a man. They want to get their money’s worth by having as much fun as they can. But you? You desperately stifle your cries and pretend that you’re not feeling good when I fuck you. It makes me feel impatient to no end. Why don’t you cast aside that troublesome pride for once and be honest with yourself? Yearn for me as you truly do. Life is short. At least when I’m taking care of you, you should stop looking so grim at least, and enjoy yourself to your heart’s content.”
These words made Lucianus feel inexplicably sad. He didn’t want a relationship that was bound purely by sex, and yet he was making Dominatus think that way. Lucianus wasn’t buying Dominatus solely for pleasure—he was doing it because he couldn’t suppress the fiery love that burned within his heart. Finding no other way to tie Dominatus to himself, he had chosen this route. They were men and of differing ranks. Unless Lucianus bought Dominatus under the guise of an eccentric hobby of a noble, there was no other way for the two of them to be in such close proximity.
Not only were Lucianus’s feelings not conveyed, but he was even forced to consume a mysterious pill. It was as though Dominatus was mocking him—if it was pleasure Lucianus wanted, Dominatus could provide as much as the noble desired.
“Is your goal to drown me in pleasure until I make a fool of myself? So you can mock me?” Lucianus asked.
“Are you sure that you won’t have any regrets?” Kaira had asked before Lucianus spent his first night with Dominatus. Lucianus had assumed that his servant’s concern was related to entrusting his body to a man of lower rank. Was he trying to warn me that I’d end up hurting myself if I purchased the affections of the man I love? If so, Kaira’s worries may ring true. Lucianus bit his lip, lost in his thoughts.
“Not at all,” Dominatus whispered. “I won’t mock you. Lucianus, just for one night, I ask that you yearn for me to your heart’s content.”
He spoke somberly, with none of his usual arrogant demeanor. His gaze looked a touch forlorn, and almost timid, even. Lucianus was concerned to see that Dominatus wasn’t his usual self, but when he opened his mouth to speak, his lips were sealed with a passionate kiss.
Dominatus’s large tongue entwined with Lucianus’s, and they kissed for so long that Lucianus could hardly breathe. He felt like he was being toyed with, but the flurry of kisses didn’t stop. All they were doing was locking lips, but Lucianus’s body and mind were already stirred up, a complete mess.
When Dominatus finally released Lucianus’s lips, he pointed his feverish gaze at the noble while scooping up the glossy, golden locks.
“What a prideful wealthy son who knows nothing of suffering,” Dominatus murmured.
As Lucianus stiffened, Dominatus gave a triumphant, mischievous smirk. He planted his lips on Lucianus’s forehead.
“Those were my thoughts when I first met you,” Dominatus confessed. “But over time, you became cuter in my eyes. I noticed that you put on a bold front when you’re with me, and desperately try to protect yourself. When I first held you in my arms, you acted as though you were used to sleeping with men, but I knew instantly that you were inexperienced. Yet, you still remained stubborn and acted like all was well. I don’t quite understand myself, but that dishonesty made me inexplicably angry. Yet, simultaneously, I was so filled with lust for you that I could no longer restrain myself, and I treated you horribly during your first time.”
Lucianus was so embarrassed that he wouldn’t have minded being smote right then and there. He hadn’t noticed that Dominatus had seen right through him back then.
“That night, I felt pathetic for acting out and I was disappointed in myself,” Dominatus continued. “I didn’t think that I’d get another chance, but then you called for me again. With each of our meetings, your body slowly got used to me. You’re like a tight bud that slowly bloomed into a beautiful flower. Your inexperienced body that knew nothing of love gradually got accustomed to my affection, and you now easily open up to me, sweetly entrusting your body to melt into my embrace. Seeing you transform in this way has brought me far sweeter and greater joy than any gladiator battle I’ve ever won. You had no idea, did you?”
Dominatus divulged his thoughts as though we were singing a lullaby. He gently stroked the cheek of a confused Lucianus.
“What’s wrong, Dominatus?” Lucianus asked. “You’re acting odd tonight.”
“I’m not,” Dominatus replied. “It’s simply become troublesome to act the part of a male prostitute.”
“Act? What do you mean?”
Lucianus furrowed his brow, but Dominatus only gave a strained smile and shook his head.
“If you don’t understand, that’s fine with me,” he replied. “Now then, I think the aphrodisiac will be taking effect soon. We mustn’t put it to waste; it was so expensive that it’d make your eyes pop out.”
Dominatus once again sealed Lucianus’s lips as though to imply that their chitchat was over.